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By Kerri Provost, August 13, 2011 10:21 pm

The 49th Annual Greater Hartford West Indian Day Parade tried out a different route Saturday afternoon. Continue reading 'A Glance at the West Indian Day Parade'»

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By Kerri Provost, July 22, 2011 2:12 pm

Because the Hartford Democratic Town Committee convention did not start on time, there was opportunity to check out the fashions. Continue reading 'Is this what Democracy Looks Like?'»

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By Kerri Provost,

A large room crammed full of powerful people (and those aiming to be) dressed in red, white, and blue, with buttons and signs galore. The party casts its votes, maybe some numbers don’t match up and a recount is needed, but the endorsements get made and the evening moves on. Reporters pushing their way through to get to the newly endorsed or to those left behind. That’s the image that comes to mind, and to an extent, that is what happens. But for those who have never been to a convention and who are not politically connected, it might be eye-opening to learn that the behind the scenes “back room deals” are not so secretive after all.

The Hartford Democratic Town Committee’s convention was scheduled to begin at 5:30 on Thursday evening in Bulkeley High School’s air conditioned auditorium. We assumed that this was the fake time, which is told so that events kick off on time about thirty minutes later. Segarra’s supporters were gathered around the building’s entrance with signs and stickers at 4:30 pm. By all accounts, I thought I would be home by ten, latest.

Upon entering, we had our choice of seats. Nothing was roped off. Nobody was serving as an usher. I sat with Emily of Live in Hartford, and near reporters from The Hartford Guardian and The Hartford News, two small, local newspapers that work hard to get the story, like journalists from days of yore. We were in the second row, center, and nobody seemed to mind.

Waiting for the event to begin, we noted who was conversing with whom. Julio Concepcion, an HDTC member, stopped over and we chatted about the waves he made when he publicly questioned the 2-2-2 strategy days prior. In the audience was a young man, a teenager about to enter Hartford Public High School after attending Bellizzi. He began the evening as the embodiment of idealism. We never saw if he looked the same, or disenchanted, when he slipped out later.

At 6pm, we thought the event was going to begin when the committee announced that the little people had to move our seats:

The rationale made sense. Leave room so that HDTC members can easily access the microphone and be heard; one wonders why this was not announced earlier. One also wonders why this was even attempted, as the members were scattered throughout the auditorium, some griping that they could not hear, all the while not moving their seats, despite the vacant ones now reserved for them. Continue reading 'Behind the Scenes at the Hartford Democratic Town Committee Convention'»

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By Kerri Provost,

2-2-2 Continue reading 'Hartford Democratic Town Committee Convention: Numbers Game'»

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By Kerri Provost, July 13, 2011 7:44 am

Live jazz and cold lemonade.

On a gorgeous summer morning, offering bribes seems like the only way to encourage people to delay their picnics and beach trips by an hour or so.

Newsflash: bribery works. Continue reading 'Hartford Pew Review: Asylum Hill Congregational Church'»

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By Kerri Provost, July 7, 2011 11:57 am

These are just a select few of the events going on through the remainder of July:

Tonight

Beach Block Party at the Wadsworth Atheneum will feature summer fashions and the film Soul Surfer. Begins at 5pm; film at 8.

July 8th

Hot Rhymes, Spicy Flows: HartBeat Ensemble’s BBQ & Poetry Feast in the Hollander Building on Asylum (enter on High Street). There will be vegetarian bbq available from 6:30-7:30. The show starts at 8 and goes until 10pm. Continue reading 'July Events'»

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By Kerri Provost, July 6, 2011 5:39 pm

This pig lives at Holcomb Farm, a farm that provides produce to Foodshare

It’s not accurate to describe Hartford as being a food desert. This term implies that food is unavailable. The obesity rate says otherwise.

Instead, we should be calling it what it is — a food swamp. Prof. Molly Anderson used this phrase during her presentation at a recent forum held at the Lyceum. Rather than a lack of food being the problem, it’s that there is, in these areas, “far too much of the wrong kind of food,” she argued.

Food security was the topic of discussion at the “IForum” in late June. Anderson, the keynote speaker, delivered her presentation, “A Home’s Not Just a House: Why Food Security Must Be Part of a Strong, Affordable Community”; a response panel comprised of Julia Pon, Margaret Williams, and Martha Page followed. Continue reading 'The Great Food Swamp'»

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By Kerri Provost, June 9, 2011 12:49 am

There are some gaps in this blog post. You should check out what Live in Hartford writes about this same forum in order to fill in those blanks.

For those who are unaware, eHow is a website that specializes in providing advice that should be obvious, but since it exists, I suppose the instructions are needed. In an article about dealing with bratty kids the advice given is to set boundaries, follow through, pay attention to the child, reward for good behavior, and if junior doesn’t adjust her attitude, seek professional help. Sound advice that any rational person could write, yet in everyday observation of the world around me, can see that there is a lack of thinking parents. Likewise, there is advice provided for those who wish to campaign for mayor. These bits of wisdom include:

Only release information to the public about the current mayoral administration if it is factual.

and

Don’t verbally bash your opponent. It takes away from your positive campaign.

Obvious, right?

Not to everyone. Continue reading 'Mayoral Candidate Forum Spotlights Pressing Issues like Robocars and Raspberries'»

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By Kerri Provost, May 31, 2011 8:14 am

A prototype of the Hartford Museum Passport by Brian Cook

That Brian Cook left Connecticut is not unusual. The media has been fixated on how many people in his generation are moving out of state. Where Cook is unique is that he continues to actively contribute to the arts and culture of Hartford, which is more than some artists do while living just a few blocks over the city line.

If you have been to any venue with a pulse in the last few years, you’ve seen his work.

What also sets him apart is that he rejects the idea of himself as a professional artist, and says he has no ” plans to be one.” The result of this perpetual hobbyist mentality seems to be pure, unpretentious art. There’s no ego getting tied up in the work. There’s no distraction triggered by the schmoozing that frequently takes the place of actual creation. Cook could teach the professionals a thing or to about being earnest and getting a real kick out of one’s work.

As for his artistic background, Cook describes it as an organic process: ” I had an artistic mother and grandmother, and have always enjoyed doodling, writing poetry and sculpting in the sand. [...] About two years ago, having learned to use Photoshop as part of my job with a web startup, I began making flyers for some friends in Sea Tea Improv, Hartford’s beloved comedy troupe. I enjoyed doing it and got some positive feedback, so I tried to get better. I love Hartford, and want to use design for positive social impact. My first foray in this direction was an imaginary metro map for Hartford, with proceeds going toward Connectikids. I see the Hartford Museum [Passport] as a next step in this direction.” During this past snowy winter, when so many schools and businesses were having to shut down for several days due to the stormy weather, La Paloma Sabanera — a small, independent coffee shop — was under particular strain. Many of the shop’s customers are state employees, so even on days when La Paloma Sabanera was open, business would lag if the state closed or dismissed early. The proceeds of a poster Cook created especially for this “third place” would go to the store’s “snowy day fund” to help keep the business afloat.

Now — besides creating posters for events  and beloved local coffee shops — Cook is trying to get funding for a project designed to encourage museum attendance by Hartford youth. The Hartford Museum Passports are themselves part art, part bribery. With each museum visit, the passports would be stamped, validating the experience and incentivizing future ones.

The inspiration for this project is twofold. The museum passport itself comes directly from the way that an actual passport serves as a type of diary. Cook says, “I’ve had the opportunity to travel a lot, in Asia, Europe and the Caribbean, and always loved the appearance, language and symbolism of passports, and varying aesthetics of stamps from country to country. I actually look at my old passports fairly frequently, remembering visits by the stamps.”

Though he does not say it, a passport signals permission. It says, this is who I am and I can go anywhere. It provides tangible proof that a person can go places beyond his or her imagination. Continue reading 'Art Without Walls or a Local Zip Code'»

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By Kerri Provost, May 24, 2011 5:31 pm

Looking for something to do?

The Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival begins on Thursday, May 26th and runs through June 4th. Screenings will happen at Cinestudio on the Trinity College campus. Individual tickets are $9; discounted passes are also available for three shows and the entire festival. On June 3rd, you can check out GAZE at Real Art Ways from 5:30-8:30. This is a free gay happy hour, which fits neatly into the film festival schedule. You must be thinking, “Isn’t Pride during June as well?” Traditionally, June has been the time for gay rights celebrations and actions because of the Stonewall riots. While the major events in New York and San Francisco remain scheduled for June, the local “rally,” which has mainly been an apolitical festival in recent years, is moving to September. Maybe there will be fewer sunburns.

Anyway, you’ll have to be a decider on June 4th, or be ready to do a lot of event-hoppin’. From 5-7pm you have the chance to donate to the St. Genevieve School in Haiti and have a dinner of Haitian cuisine. The Taste of Haiti fundraiser will be held at the Franciscan Center for Urban Ministry. After getting your fill of Caribbean food, you can take a ten minute walk north to the Fr. Thomas Geokler Social Justice Fundraiser, which will be held at Sacred Heart Parish on Winthrop Street from 5-8pm. The pasta dinner (suggested donation of ten bucks) will be followed by a presentation about how to support the Youth Ministry.
There will be a fundraiser for the Hartford Jazz Society from 6-10pm at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church. How does one raise funds for jazz? With jazz. There is a suggested donation of $25, but they say that nobody will be turned away for lack of funds. From 7-9pm there will be a tribute to James Brown at the Riverfront Plaza. And,from 7-11 pm at St. James Episcopal Church in West Hartford, there will be a dance party fundraiser for Hartford Catholic Worker, which is a Catholic community in the North East neighborhood dedicated to “nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken.” If you feel bored on June 4th, you might just be a boring person!

The Puerto Rican Day Parade will be on June 5th.

You can see what the mayoral candidates have to say for themselves on June 8th at the Hartford Public Library. This goes from 5:30-7:30pm, with refreshments available during that first half hour.

You can help the CT Science Center celebrate its second birthday at the Liquid Lounge on June 10th. This party from 6-10pm is for adults 21+ only. Do you know what that means? No guilt for elbowing some defenseless child out of the way so that you can play Mindball.

February's Liquid Lounge at the Connecticut Science Center

On June 11th, some of us will be celebrating the High Holiday of Continue reading 'June’s Going to be So Boring'»